a shabby, silk fairy pouch

Today at the Altered Pages Artsociates blog, I'm sharing a shabby little silk pouch featuring a fairy transfer, with some beading and embroidery.  Well, I use the term embroidery in the loosest sense of the word--you can see for yourself HERE.

Thank you for stopping by, and a Happy Thanksgiving to all my stateside friends! :)

Orient Express--this stop, Istanbul . . .

(Yes, yes, I really have an Orient Express themed altered book, thanks to an Altered Pages Mailbox Muse kit!)

Look at that sweet pile of Easterny looking chips--if you'd like to see them up close and personal, you'll find links in my post today at Leaky Shed Studio.

Happy Thursday to you!

Santa and Oreos and Amazing Mold Putty

Are you familiar with Unruly Paper Arts?  It's an online blogozine full of arty inspiration.  Each month is a new Reader's Art Quest, a creative challenge of sorts, and this month the creative prompt is Santa Claus is Coming To Town:

You are free to choose inspiration from the creative prompt or the colors.  This month, I went with the prompt, and made an ornament:

Santa image from Altered Pages

Not much bigger than an artist's trading card, so it's a good size for an ornament.  And as you can tell, it's VERY sparkly, and will catch the lights from a Christmas tree pretty well, I hope.

There are some great sponsors for the RAQ prizes each month, and this month the randomly drawn winner will receive goodies from Amazing Crafting Products.  I tried some of the Amazing Mold Putty, and found it to be aptly named.

Short Backstory Time:  My first nephew, he was quite small when this commercial came out, and he LOVED it.  He would freeze up and watch it, spellbound, each time it came on, and was fascinated when we would sing him the song:

So I made an Amazing Mold of an Oreo.  The results look so very real, I absolutely love them.

It looks like an Oreo, but it's Sculpey!

This is the Amazing Mold used to form the "cookies"

Adding some trim and jingles = Christmas ornament!

Okay, and I did make some flat backed, lightweight keys, as well--real keys are sometimes too heavy and bulky to add to things like altered books, so it made sense to try and make some from clay:

The models, molds and yellow Sculpey "keys"

Still working on the paint job, but not bad?

You have until the end of November to join in the fun--just link your creative response to the prompt or color inspiration to THIS RAQ POST, and you'll be in the draw for the November goodies from Amazing Craft Products.  Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 

another Alice In Wonderland page

This one has the White Rabbit's fan, and I am delighted to inform you it opens and closes (after all, I am easily amused!)--please peek in at my Altered Pages Artsociates blog post for more photos and details.

You'll find the Alice chipboard at Leaky Shed Studio HERE

an altered book and Christmas--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #284

Here's a quick peek at what's on my desk this morning:

A piece of painted chipboard for an altered book layout, and some Christmas makings.  Last week I was working on some ornaments, if you'd like to see the finished ones, just scroll down a post, or click HERE.
(Okay, just to clarify, I didn't cut out that chippy--it's from Leaky Shed Studio.)

Short and sweet this WOYWW.  I'll be desk hopping later today and tomorrow, to see what's on YOUR workdesk!.  :)

Christmas ornaments--I hope you won't be offended!

Do you like your Christmas colors to be strictly traditional?  If so, I hope you aren't offended by these ornaments--I broke out some non-traditional colors to create some arty Christmas goodies for friends . . .

First, let me say that no matter what colors you use to decorate with at Christmas, in my mind, glitter is always appropriate.  Which will explain the fact that each of these is pretty much coated with DecoArt Glamour Dust paints--incredible sparkle!  You probably know how hard it is to capture twinkly in a photograph, but I tried for you:

You can see I added some shine to the butterfly wings, as well, and did you notice the snow?  It's not just "snow," it's GLISTENING, Glittering Snow--NO way I'm passing up snow that glistens AND glitters.

Altered Pages butterfly, Leaky Shed Studios Scroll Bracket Frame

Next is a turquoise/aqua angel--trust me, the flowers are sparkly like crazy, coated with Aqua Glamour Dust Glitter Paint and a powdering of the Glistening Snow-Tex.  The ornament itself is painted with Cobalt Teal Fluid Acrylic and a DecoArt Crackle Glaze/Antique Cream combo, which makes it look almost enameled:

Altered Pages angel, Leaky Shed Studio Scroll Frame Ornament

All the ornaments were constructed using DecoArt Matte Medium, which also makes a nice protective coating for the collage images.  I really like this next one--the crackles are much more obvious on the larger surface:

Altered Pages angel, Leaky Shed Studio Snowflakes

How about a peek at one more?

She's an Altered Pages angel, too!

If you'd like to see the rest of this little Christmas angel, please pop over to the Leaky Shed Studio blog for a better look.  Thank you for letting me share these ornaments with you, and have a wonderful weekend!

painty things--What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #283

It's November.  That may not sound profound to you, but let me say it again--it's November.

Please note the daughter's shadow puppet looming over the painty things on my desk this week:

These are destined to become Christmas ornaments

Just saying, I like crackles! 

Happy What's on Your Workdesk, everyone, and thank you as always to Miss Julia for the fun of visiting creative workdesks all over the world.  Anyone can join in, just pop over for a look.